Publication number: 20080171297
Abstract: Fuel pellets which include substantial amounts of agricultural biomass having a relatively low lignin content are provided. The fuel pellets have a low ash content, good pellet durability (e.g., as determined by their pellet durability index) and heating values comparable to conventional hardwood fuel pellets. The fuel pellet may be formed by pelleting a mixture comprising agricultural biomass which includes whole corn, corn cobs, corn stover, wheat, wheat middlings, wheat straw, soy beans, soy bean hulls, soy cotyledon fiber, alfalfa, dried distillers grain, oats, oat straw, sugar beet pulp and/or sunflower hulls. Other suitable agricultural biomass materials which may be used to form the fuel pellets include co-products from corn milling processes (e.g. corn gluten feed, white fiber), oat hulls, rice hulls, rapeseed meal, rapeseed fractions, bagasse, ground barley, cottonseed hulls, whole cottonseed, ground milo, oatmeal, oat flour, rye, broken rice and empty palm fruit bundles.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 17, 2007
Publication date:
July 17, 2008
Inventors:
Luke Reynolds, Robert Sheffer, Scott McGowen, Joshua S. Veal, Luca Costantino Zullo, Todd G. Brion, David A. Cook